Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire rope inspection apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Known in the art is an inspection apparatus which uses magnetic leakage flux to inspect for damage to a wire rope for elevators and cranes (Patent Documents 1 and 2).
A wire rope flaw detection apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a sensor unit having a shape that surrounds the major portion of the outer peripheral surface of a wire rope. Since the area of contact between the wire rope and the sensor unit is large, wear sustained by the wire rope and sensor unit, which is produced owing to contact between the wire rope and sensor unit, proceeds at a rapid pace. Wear is hastened even further if the sensor unit is installed permanently in fixed fashion. Further, the sensor unit has a size conforming to the diameter of the wire rope. Since the sensor unit must be designed in conformity with the diameter of the wire rope inspected, the apparatus lacks versatility.
Patent Document 2 describes a rope flaw detection apparatus for subjecting multiple wire ropes to flaw inspection simultaneously. A plurality of abnormality detectors inclusive of magnetic sensors are provided in association with respective ones of the multiple wire ropes. Since the abnormality detector in Patent Document 2 also surrounds the major portion of the outer peripheral surface of the wire rope, wear sustained by the wire rope and sensor unit proceeds at a rapid pace. Furthermore, since an abnormality detector is provided for each one of multiple wire ropes according to Patent Document 2, the overall apparatus is heavy and large in size. Further, since it is necessary to design the rope flaw detection apparatus in accordance with the spacing between the wire ropes, the apparatus lacks versatility.